I recently purchased a couple of the NFC carbon fiber spinning handles. they are super light, but have a fairly large ID imo. I am putting them on small diameter blanks and the amount of glue i am adding is bringing the overall weight way up. how do you guys keep the weight down? i assume by using arbors is 2 enough? what arbors are lightest? How much glue is actually needed?

Josh

How much adhesive are you adding and why? The fit between arbors and blank should be close - a "slip fit." The amount of adhesive needed to bond the arbors to the blank and the handle to the arbors should be absolutely insignificant in terms of weight.

Hopefully you are not attempting to fill the linear space between the arbors with adhesive. That does add weight yet does not provide more adhesive strength.

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I guess i was trying to fill some of the space, but what you are saying is i only need minimal glue? i typically use tape arbors? does the type of arbor used affect how much glue must be used?

The bond is between the blank and arbor, and the arbor and the seat. You don't need epoxy anywhere else.

Because masking tape can break down over time due to moisture getting into the tape (masking tape is just thin paper with a self adhesive) it should be common practice to coat the ends of the tape arbors with epoxy. If you must use tape, Fiberglass Drywall tape is always a better option.

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Thanks. Sounds like I have been using more epoxy than necessary.

Which NFC CF grip did you get? The regular carbon fiber grip has an ID of about 9.5 mm. If that is too large for your blank then arbor by doing a wrap or two of dry wall tape cut to about 1” wide, at the front and rear of the grip. I tack the drywall tape in place with a drop or two super glue before applying epoxy to prevent the tape from ‘walking’ when sliding the grip into place. If you got the soft touch grips, the rear split grip is usually pre-arbored with an ID of about 9.5 mm. So, if too large use a dry wall tape arbor as mentioned above. The fighting butt of the Soft touch spit grips are arbored by the EVA butt cap, and winding check. However, the butt cap needs to arbored to the blank, a piece of 16 mm foam arbor perfectly fits the indent hole in the butt cap. I also use a short piece of a 18 mm foam arbor for the front of the fighting butt. Hope this helps.
Norm

i was referring to the carbon fiber reel seat. i have no problems with the grips.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/27/2024 01:35PM by Josh Freeseman.

The new carbon grips give a few options as it's been explained to me, you can insert the blank in a few inches as shown in their illustration, or go for a full length grip fit. one gives you the original length the other extends the finished rod length, both will work just as well.

Tom Kirkman Wrote:
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> Because masking tape can break down over time...

Some masking tape adhesives are rubber-based.
These kinds of tape are sensitive to: oxygen, heat, ultraviolet exposure...and will eventually oxidize and become dry and brittle.

Source: Addressing Shelf Life Questions for Pressure Sensitive Adhesives by Scott Miller, 3M Company



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/27/2024 03:17PM by Chris Catignani.

I always totally encapsulate my tape arbors. Never had a failure. Water cannot get to the tape if totally encapsulated. Tape is good for small gaps. If larger gaps than a few layers of tape, go with polyurethane foam arbors. Easy to ream, easy to turn them down if too large for the seat. Just stick a slightly larger drill into the bore and spin on a drill driver, holding 60 grit sandpaper against the spinning arbor. Doesn't take much, so measure often.

That NFC carbon reel seat is incredibly light…but it is also really hollow on the inside and if those voids are filled with epoxy, this seat will no longer lighter, probably even heavier than a fitted/reamed to fit reel seat. I got one to try, but I don’t think I’ll ever use it. The cavities are so hollow, that I believe you would have to add a lot of epoxy to get a good adhesion. I also see a lot of gaps between the cutout and the insert (you WILL need an insert, again adding back weight). I just don’t see getting a clean finished product from this. Maybe what I got is just a crude first edition.